Comments on: Genocide Intervention Network: Social Networking and Saving Lives http://nsdl.library.cornell.edu/websites/expertvoices/info2040/archives/2305 This is a supplemental blog for a course which will cover how the social, technological, and natural worlds are connected, and how the study of networks sheds light on these connections. Fri, 08 Mar 2013 14:23:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: lepidoptera http://nsdl.library.cornell.edu/websites/expertvoices/info2040/archives/2305#comment-1430 lepidoptera Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:58:40 +0000 http://nsdl.library.cornell.edu/websites/expertvoices/info2040/archives/2305#comment-1430 I think the case of the older generations disregarding internet activism is simply a matter of inflexibility and lack of foresight on their part; as they die off, this dialogue will completely disappear. The most important part of activism is the spread of information. The only reason that real life activism has been so effective in the past is because it receives news coverage. 100,000 protesters make more news than 100; 100 naked protesters makes more news than 100 clothed ones. If the police kill or maim protesters, the audience the protest reaches is an even larger one. With the internet, we can spread information without the aid of large centralized news source. I think this is better in every way. The spread of the news doesn't rely so much on its sensationalism (although it does to some extent, a la fark.com) but rather its content. This way, people will be less affected by the fact that people were killed giving this message and more by the content of the message itself. If the message is truly worth passing on, it doesn't need to be touted by naked people. I think the case of the older generations disregarding internet activism is simply a matter of inflexibility and lack of foresight on their part; as they die off, this dialogue will completely disappear.

The most important part of activism is the spread of information. The only reason that real life activism has been so effective in the past is because it receives news coverage. 100,000 protesters make more news than 100; 100 naked protesters makes more news than 100 clothed ones. If the police kill or maim protesters, the audience the protest reaches is an even larger one.

With the internet, we can spread information without the aid of large centralized news source. I think this is better in every way. The spread of the news doesn’t rely so much on its sensationalism (although it does to some extent, a la fark.com) but rather its content. This way, people will be less affected by the fact that people were killed giving this message and more by the content of the message itself.

If the message is truly worth passing on, it doesn’t need to be touted by naked people.

]]>